Colart le Boutellier (fl. 1240–1260) was a well-connected trouvère from Arras. There are no references to him independent of his own and others' songs, found in the chansonniers. One of these depicts the known coat-of-arms used by the Boutillier family, one of the petty noble clans of Arras, and assigns it to Colart.[1] Another manuscript does not show any arms for Colart[2] and it can be surmised that he was in fact a member of one of the middle-class families of the same name that could then be found in Arras. He may have been a relative of Robert le Boutellier, who judged a French: [[jeu parti]] between Thomas Herier and Gillebert de Berneville.[3]
Two of his songs, French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Aucunes gens m'ont mout repris and French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Quant voi le tens del tout renouveler, Colart dedicated to a certain "French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Maître Guillaume|italics=no" (William the master, i.e. teacher or one with a master's degree). This Guillaume is probably identical to the trouvère Guillaume li Vinier, with whom Colart exchanged a French: jeu parti, his only one: French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Guillaume, trop est perdus. Colart dedicated a song each to Jehan Bretel (French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Ne puis laissier), Jehan de Nuevile (French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Je ne sai tant merci crier) and Phelippot Verdière (French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Je n'ai pas droite). Jehan de Nuevile dedicated one to Colart in return. Colart also received dedications from Gillebert de Berneville, Guibert Kaukesel and Henri Amion.[3] French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Je n'ai pas droite was used as the model for an anonymous song, French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Se j'ai du monde la flour. His French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Loiaus amours was a model for another anonymous song, French, Old (842-ca.1400);: Grant talent ai qu'a chanter, and provided the basis for a contrafactum by the Chastelain de Couci, French, Old (842-ca.1400);: La douce vois du rossignol salvage.
Thirteen songs by Colart are preserved in manuscripts. He preferred isometre, bar form and G modes. He "often drew material from the pedes in the cauda".[3]
Listed by incipit: